The US,
EU and eleven other developed countries have initiated talks to form an
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).The talks have been confidential, and no formal text is available, but a
“Discussion Paper” circulated among participants was leaked and is now
available on the web at http://file.sunshinepress.org:54445/acta-proposal-2007.pdf.

Civil society groups have many concerns about ACTA.The fact that the negotiations lack
transparency worries many, as does the fact that developed countries seem to be
setting standards by themselves – outside of the WTO or WIPO – that they could
later seek to apply universally.Some of
the concerns about the contents of the leaked ACTA Discussion Paper include:

1.There is no definition of ‘counterfeit,’ and
various industry/government definitions could include generic drugs, or
unauthorized copies of books or digital media that are not intended to be
passed off as originals

2.The discussion paper includes criminal
enforcement, which may be applied to those who copy media “without motivation
for financial gain”

3.ISPs could be obliged to assist with enforcement
against internet users

4.Customs officials could be tasked with copyright
enforcement and given more authority in conducting searches and seizures.

This is by no means a complete
list.For more information on civil
society concerns about ACTA, here are three links: